Swift 1887

This sketch of a swift in flight was made by Vincent van Gogh on paper with graphite. The drawing is quite direct, almost childlike. The paper and pencil are inexpensive, common materials that would have been readily accessible, and required no specialized training to use. Consider how Van Gogh has used the qualities of the graphite to capture the essence of the bird’s movement. See how the smudging and the varying pressure of the pencil create depth and shadow, suggesting the swift’s quick turns. There’s an immediacy to this work, born of the simple means of production. Van Gogh wasn’t aiming for the status of a grand oil painting; he was capturing a fleeting moment, a personal observation. It reminds us that profound artistic expression can be found in the everyday, and that craft, like drawing, is an essential part of how we see and understand the world.